After a notification by the Labour secretary of Government that IT companies are bound by the same labour laws that govern other industries and their employees are free to form labour unions, software employees respond with mixed feelings.
India’s State Government recently clarified that IT companies are bound by the same labour laws that apply to other industries, and therefore their employees are free to form labour unions. While government officials emphasize that this rule has always been in place, software employees respond with mixed feelings, according to the blog Thozhilalar koodam, which focuses on labour issues in Tamil Nadu.
In an environment of increasing insecurity, some software engineers are afraid that unions would scare off corporations. Furthermore, there is some fear that speaking up to the management will give employees a bad reputation that will affect their ability to find new employment. Meanwhile, others felt comforted by the idea of being able to form a union if conditions are to worsen.